Portraits of a Mother
by MissB8604
Summary: [One Shot] Mrs. Potts & Beast. Set in the world of the musical, Mrs. Potts goes to her nightly visit with the Beast trying to make him realize just how much she loves him and how something is coming for him.


**Authors' Notes: Okay, so I'm going another route. After having written only RENT stories for the past year, I felt like it was time to explore some other stories that I fell in love with. This is a bit of an AU, but this is sort of the take I brought to my role of Mrs. Potts this past March. Have any questions about my exploration of her? Just ask.**

**I OWN NOTHING (but the plot and names here and there).**

**Please read, review and enjoy!**

She loved him; there was no doubt about that. He was like her son, the man that she wanted Chip to grow up to be. But what had she done to make him into the monster that he had become? What could have she done to better him? Why did she let his arrogance get the best of him? Out of all of the enchanted objects in the entire castle, Eleanor Potts felt the most miserable when it came to thinking of that day. She didn't ever want to discuss it even when Lumiere and Cogsworth would sulk about day in and day out. She never wanted him to think about it either, the more he thought about it the more his true heart would slip away and the harder it was to reach him. He was becoming more of a monster everyday and as she slept each night she wept tears of longing for the boy that she practically raised, the boy that she would hold close when Chip wasn't even thought of.

Mrs. Potts walked along the cupboard, taking her only free hand and covering her forks and spoons with various cloths to keep them warm. It was into the later hours of the night and the castle was fast asleep, that is, except for her and the Beast. Often times, Mrs. Potts would walk along the castle, deep in thought over what have become of so glorious of a castle and how she had a feeling in her soul that something magnificent was bound for her boy and it was going to happen soon.

She traveled up to the West Wing, knocking lightly on the door, which was chipping all the way down to its original wood. Claw marks decorated the door as the Beast's frustration was its only sole purpose. "Master?"

Slowly the Beast awoke to the sounds of Mrs. Potts' light footsteps, and had slowly sat up in his bed sighing heavily. "Mrs. Potts?" He asked sleepily. "Yes dear, how are you sleeping my love?" Mrs. Potts' smile brightened the room that was so dark and lifeless to him but always seemed warmer when she was around. "Fine." He answered irritably, as the rose came into view its petals color even more beautiful than the day he received it. Walking over to grand French windows that were open and causing a horrible draft to go through the room, Mrs. Potts closed them humming to herself. "Why are you still up?" He asked watching her as he rubbed the fir away from his eyes. "Can't sleep just yet dear." The only way that Mrs. Potts could ever rest was sitting in a particular position, but even then it wasn't comfortable. "I see you were drifting," she giggled as she lit the bedside candle. The Beast winced at the sudden burst of light in the room, but quickly adjusted to it. "Are you a bit warmer? Dear, you can't leave the window open like that you'll catch your death." Sighing, the Beast laid his weary body back onto the pillows of his bed. "Why is it that you still care about me even after all of the things that I say and do to you?" Smiling, Eleanor Potts stood up walking back over to the bedside table. "I don't just care about you Alexandere, I love you. I know that nothing you ever say or do is meant to hurt me, and I keep to that every night when I am off to bed." The Beast locked eyes with Mrs. Potts almost beginning to experience the love that she held for him until she looked away at the candle, watching the light dance. "Although everyone in this castle is afraid of you, and you like it that way, I am not, and never will be. Because I know who you are, Cogsworth knows who you are and we don't think of you as a monster you are trying to become even before your time." Not wanting to hear any more of it, the Beast turned on his side blocking Mrs. Potts' view of his face. "I'm going to sleep now Mrs. Potts, goodnight." Blowing out the candle, Mrs. Potts slowly crept over to the door to the Beast's bedroom eyeing his dark form carefully. "Sleep well my prince, and know that you can choose to make the best of this curse or you can choose to live out the rest of your life as a monster. Choose, but choose quickly so that I can know what I am to experience for the rest of my days as well. Do be conscious of those around you, not all of us are against you." As the Beast shut his eyes in pain, tears fell out of his eyes blinding him not wanting to hear anymore, but yet yearning for more information in how to better himself. Hearing him begin to shuffle in bed, Mrs. Potts let herself out of the room and slowly closed the door to the bedroom. It wasn't until she took a few steps that she felt a great sob come from her gut and into her throat causing her to weep uncontrollably. Covering her mouth to keep her sob from waking the castle or the Beast, Mrs. Potts leaned over the banister to the stairs and watched her tears fall down, hitting the floor below. He would get better. This she believed with all of her soul. But when would he realize that they are all not just people whom he could do and say anything to? When would he realize that they would gladly work their hardest for him if he would just stop acting no one cared? When will he learn? When, will he learn to love? But most importantly, when will he learn to understand that love?


End file.
